You're reading: French ambassador: France expects Russia-EU top level dialogue to be resumed soon

Moscow - France expects that top-level dialogue between Russia and the European Union, including negotiations on the liberalization of visa regulations, will be resumed in the near future, French Ambassador to Russia Jean-Maurice Ripert said.

“We hope that dialogue on all issues at the level of heads of state will be resumed in a not very distant future, including as concerns the completion of the work and the conclusion of an agreement that would help us move ahead in liberalizing visa regulations,” Ripert said in an interview with Interfax.

France would like to spare Russian citizens of the need to receive short-term visas to travel to this country, he said.

France would also like to restore smooth relations with Russia after settling the crisis in Ukraine, he said.

“We all support the efforts toward looking for ways to settle the crisis in Ukraine, which should enable us to return to more or less smooth relations with Russia,” he said.

Crimea so far remains a special issue in relations between Russia and the EU, he said.